German e-mail provider Posteo looks to be expanding outside of Germany, providing an alternative to the recently defunct Lavabit. The secure and encrypted email service Lavabit recently shut down amidst controversy surrounding the PRISM scandal and whistleblower Edward Snowden, who used the service. According to information obtained exclusively by Softonic, Posteo is already working on an English translation of their website, whose services are currently available in 68 different languages.
In an interview with Softonic, Posteo CEO Patrick Loehr confirmed that they are working on an English translation of the website, although Loehr could not confirm a time frame for its availability. Posteo staff, a five-strong company based in Berlin, are currently busy translating the general information pages. It’s still unknown, however, when the entire service, including the ability to pay monthly fees for the use of its service, will be ready in English.
Although the website is only currently available in German, Posteo customers can use the web mail service in over 68 different languages, with the webmail’s user interface available in English, French, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, Polish, Dutch and Chinese, among many others.
Improvements to security
Posteo are reluctant to confirm any new features, but have mentioned improvements to the webmail’s security. “We are already working on an end-to-end encryption for web access,” Loehr confirmed. Posteo is also working on encoding data with user passwords. Again, there is still no confirmation for when the integration of these functions will be available.
Since the PRISM scandal broke in early July, the number of e-mail accounts registered with Posteo has nearly doubled, all of which are paying customers. This increase in revenue will be used to hire much needed staff for their quickly expanding business.
